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Alarm over “new Malagrotta” planned at UNESCO site

INSIDER NEWSDESK

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31 May 2019

INSIDER NEWSDESK

31 May 2019

Hadrian's Villa. Photo credit: Teggelaar

ROME – Plans for a new rubbish dump near Hadrian’s Villa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is two millennia old, have alarmed residents and professionals alike, who fear a “new Malagrotta,” according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Though still in the planning stages, a conference will be held to authorise a waste disposal plant at Corcolle near Tivoli, which is home to the second-century AD Roman emperor’s private residence. It would be in the same valley as the archaeological site, which is the second most visited site in the land around Rome after the Villa D’Este, and has been a World Heritage Site since 1999.

This is not the first time such a plan has been put forward. The site was first identified as an alternative to the notorious Malagrotta in 2011 but the suggestion was met with fierce resistance. Urbano Barberini – actor, theatre director and descendent of the famous aristocratic family – was amongst those to criticise the plans. “We are ready to restart the battle,” he told Il Fatto.

While the 2011 plan was for a dump for undifferentiated rubbish from Rome, this time it would only be for “inert” waste, such as from construction sites and demolitions. This will though do little to mollify those who are concerned about the dump’s location and the potential is has to ruin the nearby landmark of Italy’s ancient past.